Bichaed m



PENCIL Patented Jan.- I,

. ofthe city, county, and State of New York,

a presser-tubesurrounding said holder-tube llevaran Sra-ras "PATENT Ormea.

V RICHARD M. COLLARD, OF NEV YORK, NYY., ASSIGNOR TO LEROY NV. FAIROHILD, OF SAME PLACE. i

PENCIL.

l Elf-ECIFIGATION `forming par-t of Letters Patent No. 291,297, dated Sanuary 1, 1884.

Application filed July2,18'3. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD M. Contain),

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencils, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to that class of pencils in which the lead is held in a longitiidinal movable carrier, which can be prop'elled so as to project the point of the lead the requisite distance beyond the tip or nozzle of the pencil-case. In apencil of this kind the end of the lead is inserted and iitted tightly in the carrier, and after one lead is used up it is ordinarily somewhat difficult and troublesome to remove from the carrier the stub of lead remaining, which must betaken out before a fresh lead can be inserted.` It is the object of my invention to obviate this diiiicnlty and to provide a means whereby the lead can, whenever desired, be conveniently and quickly ejected from its carrier. To this end I combine in the carrier au expansible holder-tube in which Jthe lead is inserted, and

and adapted to contract and compress the latter, so asto canse it to clamp the lead, the two tubes being longitudinally movable with respect to one another, so as to permit the holder-tube to be projected far enough beyond the endl of the presser-tube to expand and release the lead. Vith these two instrumentalities I combine an ejectingspring, locatedwithinthe holder-tube,l and in such position that it will be compressed by the lead when the latter is pushed home to its place in the carrier. Thus when the lead is inserted in place it compresses the ej ecting-spring, but at the same time is, by the clamping action of the pressertube upon the holder-tube, held in place against the stress of said spring, so that as long as the two tubes more together the lead can be propelled in one direction or the other `in the pencil-case, as usual; but if one of the tubes-for instance, the presser-tube-be held stationary and the oth er one bepnshed forward, so as to project its enpansible end beyond the presser-tube, then the lead will no longer be clamped, the ejecting-spring will be free to retract, and in so doing will eject forcibly lthe lead from the carrier. j I also in practice conibine with the three elements hereinbefore named a retracting-sprin g, which tends to hold the two tubes in the position which. they should occupy when clamping the lead.

The nature of my improvements and the manner in which the saine are or may be carried into effect will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have represented the same as applied to a pencil in which the carrier is propelled by means of a spira-lly-slotted propelling sleeve, rotatable with respect to the carrier, `which is engaged by a stud or projection on the carrier.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of the pencil. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same with the outer case or sheath removed in or der to show the spirally-slotted propelling-` sleeve. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central secA tion of the front port-ion of the pencil, show ing the parts of the carrier in the position they occupy when the lead stub is ejected. Fig. 4 is an elevation ofthe carrier detached, with the parts in normal position. Fig. 5 is a like elevation with the parts in the position they occupy when the two tubes are moved against the stress of the retracting-spring far enough to project the end of the holder-tube beyond the presser-tube. 'A

The lead-carrier A is contained in a longi` tudinally-slotted guide-tube7 l, in which it can slide freely. The guide-tube B carries at its' front end the tip or nozzle Il', which may be detachably united `to said tube by a screwconnection, as shown. Between shoulders y y on the slott'ed guidetiibe is confined the spi rally-slotted propelling-sleeve C, which is ca-Y pable of rotary inovenientonly on said guidetube. To the propelling-sleeve is fixed the outer case or sheath, D, which is the pencilhandle. A stud, a, lroinwthe carrier A projects through the straight slot b of the guidetube into the spiral slot c of the propelling-` `sleeve. By taking hold of the handleD with one hand and the nozzle B with the other tion and mode of operation is old and not of I now proceed to point out u my invention. those features in which my invention resides. The characteristic features of the invention have been indicated by me in the first part of l ing the holder-tube normally in a position to this specication. ment is represented in the drawings, and will now be described.

The holder-tube is lettered d. It is slotted at its front end, with a view to render it cxpansible, and is intended'to receive the end. of the lead x.

Surrounding the holder-tube is the pressertube c. These two tubes are longitudinally movable with respect to one another, and the outer or presser tube is of such diameter that when the lead is inserted in the holder-tube and the latter is drawn back into the pressertube the said holder-tube will thereby be caused to clamp or close tightly upon thelead.

Within the holder-tube, and located at its rear, is the ejecting-spring, hereinbefore referredl to, consisting in this instance of a spiral spring, f, held at its rear end in place in thei holder-tube by a suitable cross-pin or other fastening device. rIhis spring is so placed that when the lead is pushed home to its placek in the holder-tube it will thereby be compressed, as indicated in Fig. 1, the holder-tube normally clamping the lead with sufficient power to resist the outward push which the compressed spring exerts on the end of the lead. The stud a, hereinbefore referred to, is attachedto theinner or holder tube, d.

v Normally, when the spirally-slotted p ropeller-sleeve rotates, the two tubes d c, which form the body of the carrier A, move together,V so as to advance or retract thelead. When, therefore, it is desired to eject the lead fromthe-carrier, it becomes necessary that the one tube should be held still, while the other is moved in the proper direction to unclamp the lead. A convenient device for this purpose is found in a stop which at the proper point sha-ll prevent the further forward movement of the outer or presser tube. Such a stop can manifestly be constructed and arranged in various ways. In the present instance it is composed of an annular external shoulder or projection, g, on the presser-tube, and a corresponding` internal shoulder or projection, g', at the front end of the guide-tube B.

The parts of the carrier move bodily and together until the two shoulders g g abutv against one another, thus preventing further forward movement of the presser-tube. If, now, the stud a, by the action of the propelling sleeve, be carried fartherforward, the effect will be to push forward the holder-tube alone, and as soon as this tube has moved far enough beyond the presser-tube to unclamp the lead the ejectingspring asserts itself, and by its recoil forciblyejects the lead from the carrier and out through the nozzle, B, thus discharging it from the pencil.

In Fig. 3 the parts of the carrier are represented in the position which they occupy inimediately after the discharge of the lead in themanner just indicated.

With a view to maintaining the parts ofthe carrier in a definite position, and of maintain- Their preferred,4 embodi clamp the lead, I make use of a spring, h, hereinbefore termed a retraeting-spring.7 This spring surrounds a stem or prolongation, d, of the holder-tube, which extends rearwardly through and beyond the presser-tube c. The stud a is on the rear end of this stem, and the retracting-spring is confined between a pin or shoulder on the stem at the rear and the rear end of the presser-tube at the front, the arrangement being such that the retracting-spring thus confined tends to maintain the holder-tube d retracted within the pressertube. A stop, di, limits the extent to which the holder-tube can be drawn rearwardly by the retracting-spring. When, in the operation of ejecting the lead, the holder-tube is pushed forward beyond the presser-tube,the retracting-spring is necessarily compressed. As soon, however, as it is free to recoil it at once returns the parts to normal position..

In order to insert a fresh lead,` the lead, .while the parts are held in the positionshown in Fig. 3, is inserted and pushed home in thev carrier, and hold of the hand on the sheathD or nozzle B/ is then loosened sufficiently toallow the retracting-spring to recoil, inward pressure on the lead ybeing maintained until the holder-tube closes tightly on the lead.

Having described my improvements and.v the best way now known tome of carrying the same into practical effect, whatI claim as new and of my own invention isn l. The combination, with the holder and presser tubes,.movable with relation to one another for the purpose of clamping and releasing the pencil-lead, of an ejecting-spring located in the holder-tube imposition to be compressed by the lead inserted in said tube, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the holder and presser tubes, movable relatively to onev another for the purpose of clamping and releasing the pencil-lead, of an ejecting-spring lo; cated in the holder-tube in position to be compressed by the lead inserted in said tube, and a retracting-spring which normally holds said tubes in a position in which they clamp and hold the pencil-lead in place against the stress of the compressed ejecting-spring, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, with a pencil case or sheath, a lead-carrier longitudinally movable therein, having a leadholding socket composed of holder and presser tubes longitudinally movable with respect to one another, and an ejecting-spring in the holder-tube, as de- IOO IIO

scribed, and means forpropelling said carrier Y in said case, of a stop by which the forward motion of the-outer or presser tube is limited, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4. The lead-carrier consistinglof the presser and holder tubes, combined with ejecting and retracting springs, substantially as hereinbefore described, in combination with the peng pin or projection on said holder-tube, which 15 extends through the straight slot of the guidetube into the spiral slot of the propellingsleeve, and a stop arranged and operating to arrest the forward movement f the pressertube at a predetermined point, substantially 2o as and for the purposes hereinloefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set iuyhand this 27 th day of June, 1883.

RICHARD M. COLLARD. Wituesses HARRY P. Famer-ULD, URIAH T. CHAMBERLAIN. 

